Nirbhaya Case: Delhi govt recommends rejection of mercy plea

The Delhi government was severely criticised for requesting the High Court to set aside Jan 22 death warrant of the convicts. The High Court today rejected Delhi government's request, after which a communique was sent to the Lieutenant Governor, said the reports.

Sisodia said the government sent the recommendation as soon as it learned that the mercy plea had been file and assured that there will be no delay from its side in the execution of the four convicts.

Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Akshay Kumar Singh and Pawan Gupta were to be hanged at 7 am on Jan 22 in Tihar jail, the trial court ruled last week. The death warrant was signed seven years after a young medical student was raped and tortured in a moving bus in Dec 2012.

The Delhi government today pleaded to the High Court that the convicts could not be hanged as their mercy pleas are pending with the judge, but the court did not find anything wrong with the death warrant and asked it to approach the trial court.

Meanwhile, Nirbhaya's mother on Tuesday requested President Ram Nath Kovind to reject the mercy plea of Mukesh Kumar. She told the reporters the four convicts will be hanged no matter which court they approach.